Refuse cart



Patented Sept. 21 1954 REFUSE CART Ralph M. Rosenberry, spkanepwash. Application April 7, 1953Serial No.1347,214

lMy presentinvention-isa refuse cart 'which may be manuallymobilizedandlemployed in a 'fgreat number Aof uses.

One objectof the inventionis to provide acart having convenient means of loading and unloading its contents and one which is susceptible to manual mobilization.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a. refuse cart having a collapsible or separable receptacle which may be knocked down for shipping or storage.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a refuse cart having a closed receptacle provided with a manually movable top, bottom and one side wall which may be selectively moved out of closing relation with the receptacle.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a refuse cart which is simple in construction, using a minimum number of parts and, thereforeJ one which is inexpensive and yet very handy for a great number of uses.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts;

Figure l is a perspective View of an embodiment of the preferred form of my improved refuse cart; and v Figure 2` is a transverse cross section taken through the cart, with the receptacle closed.

The cart, indicated in general by the numeral Ill, basically is a wheeled, manually movable, normally closed receptacle, and in particular comprises a barred receptacle I I dened by separable side walls I2 and I3, front wall I4, and rear wall I5. Each wall is constructed of a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical bars IS united at their top and bottom end portions by means of upper and lower brace members Il and IS.

As illustrated in the drawing, the front end wall upper and lower brace members are mere ilat bars, while the other walls are provided with angle members. IThe side walls I2 and I3 and the rear wall I1 are releasably secured together at the meeting corners and are separable so the receptacle may be collapsed for transportation or storage. The front open end of the receptacle is provided with a horizontally disposed angle member I9 to tie the side walls together when the end wall lil is in the open position. The end Wall I4 is provided with hinges 26 along one vertical side edge; these hinges are secured to the side wall I3 to permit movement of the front 1 Claim. (Cl. 28044726) `wall I4 into and outofclosing# relationcwith the `receptacle.

*The lower brace members I Bfare provided-With their horizontal flanges disposed 4vinwardly Larid a bottom plate 2 I having a downwardly bent lipl 2 I on its forward end, is removably carried in the receptacle upon these ilanges.

The lower edge of the front wall I4 is spaced above the upper surface of the plate 2| to a limited degree to permit the bottom 2l to be slid forwardly under the front wall I4 and removed from the receptacle.

The open top of the receptacle is provided with a closure or top 22 which is constructed of a plurality of bars I6 secured across their ends by means of brace members 23, the lower Ibrace member 23 being provided with hinges 24, secured to a side wall upper brace member Il to hinge the top, adapting it to be movable into and out of covering relation with the receptacle.

Selected ones of the vertical bars I6 spaced forwardly of the longitudinal center in the `side walls, extend downwardly beyond the lower brace members I8 and carry a transversely disposed axle 25, upon the ends of which are journaled wheels 26.

Handles 2'1 are carried by the side walls I2 and I3 and extend rearwardly from the receptacle to be grasped by a person for manual mobilization.

To support the cart in horizontal position when unaccompanied, selected ones of the vertical bars I6 of the side Walls or rear end wall I5 extend downwardly below the lower brace members I8, terminating at ay point commensurate with the lower edges of the Wheels 2B.

For convenience of illustration, I -have omitted screen or mesh wire from Figure 1; however, it is contemplated supplying this screen or mesh 28 to the inside faces of the walls and the top, and the cart may thus be used as an incinerator, the screen preventing sparks from ilying. Also, the screen adapts the cart for carrying smaller particles than it ordinarily would carry.

I contemplate constructing the cart receptacle of such dimensions that it will accommodatetwo normal refuse cans. In this way, the refuse cans may be placed at a convenient location, the top may be easily raised to permit access to the cans and, when it is time for collection, the cart may be wheeled to the location from which the refuse is collected.

The cart may also be used for cleaning up refuse, such as leaves and trash, about a dwelling. The refuse may be loaded into the cart through the open top, the top then closed and the cart wheeled to a convenient location for burning. Since the cart is constructed completely of unburnable materials, the leaves and trash may be ignited in the cart and consumed therein. Afterwards, the bottom 20 may be removed and the bottom edge of the front wall I4 will wipe the ashes from the bottom as the bottom moves outwardly. If desired, the bottom may @be removed prior to burning the contents.

Obviously, there are many other uses of the cart too numerous to describe in this work, but the present description is sufficient for one skilled in the art to practice the invention,

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A refuse cart adapted to contain refuse cans, comprising a separable metal frame, having a plurality of vertical bars united yattheir top and bottom end portions to horizontally extending upper and lower brace members releasably secured together at adjoining corners, and dening a receptacle having side and end walls; a removable bottom in the frame and carried by the lower brace members; the front one of said end walls being hingedly united to one side wall and swingable outwardly to open one end of said re-` ceptacle; handles carried by the side walls and extending horizontally rearwardly from the end of said receptacle; a barred cover for said receptacle hingedly carried by one side wall; selected ones of said vertical bars spaced forwardly of the longitudinal center of the receptacle extending below the lower angle members and carrying wheels disposed in planes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the receptacle; and other selected ones of said bars spaced rearwardly of the longitudinal centerl of said receptacle extending downwardly a distance commensurate with the lower supporting edge of the wheels to support the cart in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 1,048,741 Paul et al Dec. 31, 1912 1,847,004 Grntel' Feb. 23, 1932 1,970,727 Bates Aug. 21, 1934: 2,171,068 Masters Aug. 29, 1939 

